High School Notebook: Bellingham baseball back to basics

Sunday

Apr 29, 2012 at 12:01 AMApr 29, 2012 at 11:33 PM

Pat Williamson knows last year’s Bellingham baseball team had a solid season. The Blackhawks won 14 games and reached the state tournament for the 14th straight year. But this team is different. Now Bellingham has returned to the roots of coach T.J. Chiappone’s philosophy.

Dan Cagen/Daily news staff

Pat Williamson knows last year’s Bellingham baseball team had a solid season. The Blackhawks won 14 games and reached the state tournament for the 14th straight year.

But this team is different.

“Last year we had a lot of big hitters — we had twice as many triples as doubles last year,” Williamson said. “But when it came to get the bunt to win the game, we couldn’t get it done.”

Now Bellingham has returned to the roots of coach T.J. Chiappone’s philosophy. The Blackhawks are a small-ball team again, and there was no better example of that than on Tuesday.

Facing Hopkinton in a matchup of perhaps the Tri-Valley League’s two best teams, the Blackhawks small-balled the Hillers to death.

Bellingham sacrificed four times, including a suicide squeeze. The Blackhawks scored three runs directly off the sacrifices, got solid pitching from senior captain Jeff Dunn, and won 5-1 to move to 7-0. They are currently 8-1 (7-1 TVL).

“The little things are what count the most,” said Dunn, who was limited last season by a sprained right shoulder. “The timely hitting and the timely bunts, it really makes the difference and gives us the momentum.”

For much of Chiappone’s 18 years at Bellingham, that’s been the preferred style. He’s revised when his personnel dictated to swing away, but has returned to small-ball this year.

New Millis co-coach Steve Simoes was on the other side of the field from Chiappone for many years when he was at Hopkinton. Simoes — whose Mohawks have already lost to Bellingham twice — says Chiappone’s team isn’t as one-dimensional as it used to be. The Blackhawks used to be all small-ball all the time; it’s there this year, but not as pronounced.

“I have tremendous respect, I have as much respect for (Chiappone) as much as anyone in the state,” Simoes said. “The thing that stands out the most about them is the discipline. They’re always going to be prepared, and what I’ve told the kids the two times we’ve played them — you have to beat them, they’re not going to beat themselves.

“Most high school games are lost, not won. But that’s not the case with Bellingham.”

The style is also more apt to create team chemistry. A team that gets to the plate and looks to mash home runs can become about each individual.

The small-ball philosophy makes one at-bat flow into the next; the person hitting behind you can’t do their job if you don’t do yours.

The Blackhawks say they’re a more cohesive team for it.

“Along with the record we have, it’s really been fun playing with these guys because I feel like I’ve connected with these guys more than older players,” Dunn said. “Every practice, we go out with a smile. It seems like everybody knows each other. It makes a huge difference, because every day you want to practice and play. It’s a really good feeling coming into this season.”

Chiappone points to his four captains as reasons for that as well. In addition to pitcher/third baseman Dunn and shortstop Williamson — the defensive MVP of the TVL last year — there is first baseman Tyler Colacchio and right fielder Chris Dagg.

“One of our strengths is our team chemistry,” said Chiappone, who went 1-19 in his first season as boys basketball coach this winter. “Kids really enjoy being around each other. It’s nice to be around as a coach. We have really good senior leadership and obviously have benefited from that.”

Going on 15 straight years of making the playoffs means Bellingham baseball has become a tradition. The Blackhawks know there are expectations on them. And they welcome it.

“We expect to win,” Williamson said. “I think that’s a big thing in baseball compared to other sports in Bellingham. We like to win, we know what to do to win. It’s not to be cocky, but the goal is to win.”

Grant has sent the MIAA clarified information on the number of varsity-capable football players at his school. There was question as to the number of varsity-capable football players versus varsity-eligible, which threatened to break up the Millis-Hopedale football co-op.

Grant sent the different numbers last month and is awaiting word from Duxbury athletic director Thomas Holdgate, the new chairman of the MIAA co-op committee. Grant planned to follow up if he hadn’t heard anything.

“Everything that we need to do in terms of information is filed,” Grant said. “I’m just going to say the waiting game is to the change in leadership. They probably don’t have anything pending but me.

“Hopedale’s being pretty polite. We’re fine, but it’s in Hopedale — whether to have kids go to other towns or go to Hopedale. Their kids could go to Hopedale and then it doesn’t have football.”

The Millis-Hopedale football co-op has existed for three years. The Mohawks won the TVL Small last year and made the playoffs.

Grant has also applied for a boys hockey co-op with Holliston. Millis had been aligned with Tri-County, but that expired after last season. Grant was also considering Bellingham before finalizing the agreement with Holliston AD Tom Levesque on Tuesday.

Now they just need MIAA approval.

“The MIAA concern is, if Millis does this, will they become a league power? That’s not the case, but the MIAA has to confirm that,” Grant said. “The application asks for all the information they can, but they’ll ask all the questions, find our league standings.”

After consulting with his players and their parents, Grant felt Holliston would be a good match.

“The Millis and Holliston kids have done some summer league hockey before, some spring league hockey before. They do some things for needy kids, working with them on their skating. Just by freak accident, they’ve combined to do this with the Holliston coach.” …

Milford indoor track coach Lori Brogioli was named CMass Coach of the Year for girls indoor track. The award will be presented at the sixth annual MSTCA Awards Banquet on Sunday May 20. …

Hopkinton boys and girls swim coach Bryan King was inducted into the Eastern Massachusetts Interscholastic Swimming Coaching Association’s Hall of Fame this month.

King, a 1983 graduate of Natick High, began coaching in 1990 at his alma mater and at Hopkinton in 1997. He’s won three TVL titles at Hopkinton.

(Dan Cagen can be reached at 508-626-3848 or dcagen@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanCagen.)

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